A Bartender’s Guide to the Best Cocktails in Paris

The craft cocktail scene in Paris has evolved tremendously in the past few years. Here, Parisian bartender Fabien Lombardi tells us where he sidles up for a drink in his city.

Fabien Lombardi is rarely behind the bar these days. Instead, the experienced bartender dedicates his energy to overseeing the wine and cocktail program at his much-loved bar and small plates joint L’Entrée des Artistes Pigalle, which recently moved north to new lofty digs in the South Pigalle neighborhood after three years in the 11th arrondissement. Given his schedule, Lombardi admits that his time at other cocktail bars is limited—but when he does venture out, he chooses judiciously. Below are his top five picks.

Lombardi is loyal to this cocktail mainstay, largely because of the current bar manager Maxime Potfer. “He’s young but has remarkable potential. He’s always turning out surprising concoctions—I’m excited to see where he goes!” His go-to drink is the Le Meilleur: Verjus, simply syrup, cognac, and fino sherry.

Lombardi says part of what draws him back constantly to this serious rum cocktail bar is Joseph Akhavan, owner and expert barman who got his start mixing drinks at Mama Shelter and La Conserverie. “Joseph is exacting in everything he does. I love the service and the environment is so calm. It doesn’t feel like Paris when I’m there!” His go-to drink: the Blockbuster Daiquiri, which features Rum de Sainte Lucie, homemade Pedro Ximenez cola sauce, grilled lime juice, and three sprays of Pop Corner Bitters.

Here, it’s the attention to detail partnered with the down-to-earth service that makes this bar so special. “The staff are genuinely cool and there’s no pretentious, too-cool-for-school attitude that you find at most places.” His go-to drink: the Memento Mori with Peter Heering, cardamom-infused Byrrh, Vermouth del Professor, Dry Curaçao, rye, and Combawa bitters, all served on a hand-carved hunk of ice that allows the mix to keep cold without quick-melting.

After a tasting menu in a rather serious, no-nonsense environment, there’s nothing that lightens the mood more than a nice drink. “My ideal evening is an amazing meal that finishes with an excellent gin and tonic. At Saturne, I throw them back with the staff!” says Lombardi.

“I go almost every Sunday," says Lombardi. “It’s like a cure after a week of excess. And of course, I go for their excellent small plates.” To pair with the menu’s seafood tapas, the bartender leans classic with a Clamato Bloody Mary.